Jewish philanthropists lead Sunday Times rich list

The wealthiest Jews are also among the most philanthropic, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, which was released last weekend.

Jews made up more than 11 per cent of the 1,000-strong rich list – with a combined fortune of more than £88bn out of the total £520bn.

The highest earners were also among the most charitable, with one in eight Jews ranking in the top 200 Sunday Times Giving List.

Dame Janet de Botton, chair of the Wolfson Foundation, came second on the list, having recently donated £54.7 of her £200m fortune to medical research, education and arts.

Top figures donated millions of pounds to Jewish charities as well as causes that range from education to the arts, including: Lord Rothschild who gave a total £24.5m, Roman Abramovich who gave £145.9m, Richard Desmond, the Norwood charity president who gave £16.3m, Charedi Benzion Freshwater who gave £16.2m and Mark Pears of the Pears Foundation who gave £19.9m.

In total, Jewish people on the list have recently donated £413m to charity.

The rich list showed that Jewish businessmen working in property, retail and finance are wealthier than ever.

It also showed that the highest Jewish earners were born abroad, including USSR-born media and music investor Len Blavatnik, who came fourth on the rich list and was named the wealthiest man in music with £10bn. Also ranking in the top 25, were brothers David and Simon Reuben, who are of Iraqi-Jewish descent and have amassed £8.52bn; Russian Chelsea owner Mr Abramovich with £8.52bn and Israeli shipping magnate Idan Ofer with £3.43bn.

British actor Daniel Radcliffe, who has a Jewish mother, ranked in number 10 on the under-30 millionaires list, with £66m. But Alex Dellal, 30, ranked in second place on the young list with a £400m family property empire. The Dellal family came in 251st place on the main rich list.

Married Jewish couples also featured prominently, including: Sir Philip, the only British Jew to rank in the top 25, with his wife Lady Green, who have a £3.88bn fortune; Poju and Anita Zabludowicz with £1.5bn, Sir Evelyn and Lady de Rothschild with £467m, Sir Ronald Cohen and Sharon Harel with £220m and Harvey Weinstein and Geordina Chapman with £115m.